Serendipity
by devilindistress
Summary: We may meet others by chance but we love them by choice -  When two teenagers spend the day together, they instantly fall in love. Alas, separation is imminent. Will Destiny permit them to meet again? Or will that day be truly once in a lifetime?
1. The Encounter

**Chapter 1: The Encounter**

_We may meet others by chance, but we love them by choice…_

It was the first day of spring in the Earth Kingdom. There was a lot of hustling and bustling in the towns. People were preparing for the Festival of Flowers which was to be held that afternoon. While the laborers worked, the children were out playing the meadows. The girls were trying to make crowns and garlands out of the flowers while the boys were playing by the river.

The only people who were seen idle in the meadow were two teenagers – the boy was about seventeen while the girl was about fifteen. They were too young to work but too old to play – stuck in the middle, caught in between.

The teenage boy was sitting under a tree, quietly watching as the children played. He was wearing a red short-sleeved shirt with a matching gold-lined vest worn over it, reddish-black pants and black pointed boots. His ebony hair was messy, like any other teenage boy's was. On the left side of his face was a red flame-shaped scar. Although it appeared painful, the boy felt nothing in that part of his skin. Of course the scar was not something he could hide easily, but he tried. He always pretended to feel no pain when people pointed and stared at him, even if it was killing him inside. The glint in his golden eyes showed his hopes of becoming a child again, back when everything was so simple.

The teenage girl was slowly walking around the meadow, occasionally looking up at the clouds, as if looking for some sign from the heavens. She was wearing a short-sleeved light blue tunic with white lining, blue pants underneath and grey boots. Blue gloves covered her hands and a blue necklace was wrapped around her neck. Part of her long wavy hair was tied up in a bun behind her head while the rest swayed freely with the wind. Her big cerulean eyes spotted the silhouette of a teenage boy, alone just like her. She decided to sit beside him under the tree and at least try to make friends with him.

The boy heard footsteps and rustling grass coming towards him. He looked up and saw a girl, about his age, casually sitting beside him. She was facing away from him so he couldn't see her face. He looked away as well, trying to avoid her predictable reaction to his scar.

"Hey…" a gentle voice said

The boy turned his head around and saw the girl smiling sweetly at him. She had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. She was different from all the other girls from his home. They were all so pale, fierce and uncaring. She was different – an exotic flower that one only blooms every million years.

"Hey…" he replied, giving a small smile. He was ready to receive jabs about his scar, ready to get shot down again because of it.

"How are you enjoying the day so far?"

"Not enjoying it much. It's very boring here."

"I know right. I've been walking around like a lunatic since this morning."

"At least you've been getting exercise. I've just been sitting here."

She chuckled a little, showing a bit of the pair of pearly white teeth behind her pink lips.

"The flowers are beautiful though." she said, picking a white flower from the grass near her feet.

"Uh-huh. The kids seem to be enjoying the water too."

"Everything's so fresh and bright here… It's so different from home."

The boy mentally slapped himself. He should have figured out that she wasn't from around here. None of the Earth Kingdom girls looked like her.

"Where are you from anyway?"

"I'm from the Southern Water Tribe – nothing there but ice and water. There's no grass, no flowers, no trees…"

The bouquet of flowers was slowly growing in her hands as she picked more and more. With a smile, he picked a red one from beside him and added it to her bouquet. She gave a small smile back.

"How about you?" she said, "I don't think you're from around here either."

"Fire Nation… "

"Interesting… I've never met anyone from there. What's it like?"

"Really hot. Basically the same as the Earth Kingdom, but less…jolly, plus _a lot_ of heat. Beaches are awesome though."

"I heard about the beaches. Have you been to Ember Island?"

Of course he did. His dad practically owns every land in the Fire Nation, including a summer house in Ember Island. But if he told her that he was the crown prince, things would be different. He decided to leave it unrevealed, unless she confesses something really personal about herself first.

"Yup… It's awesome there. I don't really swim though." He said

"So what do you do there?"

"Just lie down under the umbrella… with my girlfriend."

He mentally slapped himself for saying that. Why would he say that? He might actually have a shot with this girl. But what was he thinking? He really did have a girlfriend at home, the daughter of a general in fact. He can't just abandon her.

"Oh…" she said, almost looking disappointed.

_Ahh, yes…, _she thought, _Of course he had a girlfriend. A guy as hot as him doesn't stay single for long. Well, why am I acting so disappointed? I have a boyfriend back home too…_

"How about you?" he said, interrupting her reverie. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Yup… Earth Kingdom guy named Jet. He stays with us at the Southern Water Tribe though."

"Why is that?"

"I don't really know… He has a mysterious past."

"For all you know, he could be a serial killer." He said, smirking and chuckling. Of course, he meant it as a joke…

She giggled and playfully slapped his arm.

"Well, how about _your_ girlfriend?" she said

"Hmm… she's pretty… classy." He replied

"Is that bad?"

"Sometimes it is."

"How come?"

"Because it's like I have to wait on her hand and foot."

"So why do you stay with her? Not that I'm trying to interfere with your relationship."

"I love her. Don't you love your boyfriend?"

"Of course… Of course I do."

They stayed quiet for a while. Every conversation was bound to have its awkward moments. This was theirs.

"So…" he said. "You want to go out and do something?" she said

"Sure… Might as well leave this boring place." He replied, standing up and dusting himself off.

He helped her up and they walked into the woods, staying near the river so they won't get lost. Soon, they came to a clearing with a small waterfall flowing into the river. The girl kneeled beside the river and observed it.

"It looks about chest deep at the most." She said

He was looking around for another shady place to lie down on when his peripheral view caught the girl removing her clothes. He had to do a double take. Why is she stripping down to her underwear?

"Umm…" he stammered, blushing. "W-What are you doing?"

"I'm going to swim." She said, giggling, aware of the blush on his cheeks. "Want to come?"

"Nah. I don't swim much, remember?"

"So what are you going to do while I swim?"

"I don't know… Lie down here?"

"Oh please, that's so boring. Come on!"

"No…"

He turned around and prepared to lie down when he felt something whip his behind. He turned back and saw her smirking.

"Umm…did you just whip my butt? ",he said, slightly chuckling

"Uh-huh." She said, still smirking

"How did you-"

"I'm a Waterbender." She said, forming a water whip again.

She was about to whip his butt again when a whip of fire, evaporated the tip of hers. She was confused. How did that just happen?

She saw him smirking at her and she knew the answer.

"You're not the only one with special talents…" he said.

"Interesting… I've never met a Firebender before."

"Never met a Waterbender either."

"So are you going to swim or not?"

"Umm… How about no?"

"Tell you what… We'll duel."

"Duel?"

"Yup. If I win, you swim. If I lose, I'll leave you in peace. How does that sound?"

"Well, that's not fair. You have a whole river here."

"So? It's nearly midday. My Waterbending is stronger at night so you have that advantage."

"Nah…"

"Aww… is the little boy scared of being beaten by a girl?"

Then, the boy's behind was whipped again. He chuckled and moved in front of the girl.

"Okay… We'll duel." He said. "But on another condition."

"What is it?" she said

"If I win, I get to kiss you. If I lose, you kiss me." He said, smirking

"Don't you have a girlfriend?"

"I do. Don't you have a boyfriend?"

"Yes. So why are you suggesting this?"

"First of all, they'll never know. Second, the sexual tension between us is so obvious. I thought we could both catch a break." He said, smirking.

"Well, that's not fair. What if I don't want to kiss you?" she said, smirking back and walking closer to him.

"Well, do you not want to kiss me?"

She was so close to him now. Their faces were merely a few inches away.

"Maybe…Maybe not." She said, still smiling devilishly

"So are we dueling or not?" he said, not moving from their current position.

"Fine. Good luck, _cutie..._"

She winked and moved a few feet away. The boy was entranced by her figure, her sexy curves and her long flowing hair. He blushed at the way her hips moved when she walked. He snapped himself back and saw her in fighting position. He positioned himself as well and replied.

"Bring it on, _beautiful…_"

Author's Note:

So... I was inspired by the movie Serendipity (lol that movie's so cute! :D )

Anyway, this is a mini-fic. Obviously it's Zutara. I also have Christmas specials coming up. Of course I'm going to update TOBSSH so don't worry guys.

Oh yeah, I'm also very busy working on AMVs. Basically I'm just multi-tasking everything so please understand the delay in updating.

Anyway, what do you think? Do you find it interesting? Feel free to comment, suggest or even react violently

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or Serendipity.

Hope you liked it! R&R please! :D


	2. The Introduction and the Conclusion

Chapter 2

"_So are we dueling or not?" he said, not moving from their current position._

"_Fine. Good luck, cutie..." _

_She winked and moved a few feet away. The boy was entranced by her figure, her sexy curves and her long flowing hair. He blushed at the way her hips moved when she walked. He snapped himself back and saw her in fighting position. He positioned himself as well and replied._

"_Bring it on, beautiful…"_

Below the midday sun stood two teenagers, both taking deep breaths. They stood a few feet away from each other, doing breathing exercises, getting ready to duel.

"Ready?" the girl whispered, her hair being blown back by the wind

The boy nodded.

"Go!" shouted the girl, instantly forming a wave and aiming at the boy.

The boy formed a fireball and evaporated the wave directed at him. He punched repeatedly and sent fireballs towards the girl. She formed a wall of water in front of her and froze it, blocking the fireballs. She then transformed the ice wall into several sharp icicles and sent it in the boy's direction. He somersaulted in the air and sent a line of fire back to the girl, melting the icicles. She dodged the line of fire and took a quick rest. While all this was happening, the distance between them slowly decreased. It was only when she rested that she noticed that he was only about 2 feet away from her.

"Wow… You're good…" she said, smiling at him

"That's not all I'm good at…" he said devilishly.

He quickly did a roundhouse kick in an attempt to trip her. Just before his legs hit hers, she jumped and attempted to punch him. He caught her wrist before it got too near and positioned his fist inches away from her face. They both stayed still, panting heavily.

"I win." He whispered with a smirk

She slowly shook her head and smiled at the confused look on his face. He looked down at his chest and saw an icicle also inches away from it. He chuckled and looked back up at her.

"So who wins?" he asked

"Call it a draw?" she said

"Sure…"

They were unmoving. They kept their eyes on each other, half waiting for a possible attack, and half just wanting to gaze upon the other.

"So are you swimming or not?" she said, putting down the icicle

He sighed and realized he was sweating.

"Well it is pretty hot…" he said, smiling and slowly letting of her wrist. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a little dip in the water…"

She nodded and jumped in, making a big splash and wetting his clothes.

"Oh come on! I'm not even in the water and you're already splashing me?" he laughed

"Just get over here" she giggled

He took off his vest and boots. When he was about to jump in, she stopped him.

"Wait!" she said

"What?"

"Why are you going to swim with your clothes on?"

"You want me to swim in my boxers?"

"Why not?"

He sighed and pulled his shirt and pants off. The girl was mesmerized by his body. His chest was chiseled and his abs were perfectly formed. His arms looked muscled and strong and his skin was smooth and pale all throughout – that is, except for the scar on his face (not that she minded). She caught herself staring and looked away while blushing. She didn't notice that he was already in the water, standing in front of her, staring at her.

"Like what you see?" he said

She panicked and splashed him so he wouldn't notice the flush in her cheeks. He stepped back a bit to avoid her splashes.

"Hey, chill. I'm not going to give you a hard time." He said. She smiled back.

"But if it helps," he continued. "I think you're pretty too…"

She blushed even more looked away.

"So… what's a Fire nation guy like you doing here in the Earth Kingdom anyway?" she asked, changing the topic

"My mom thought it would be fun to see the festival. She's the only one having a good time. I've just been wandering around town." He said.

"Well, my dad brought us here. He thought it would be fun if my brother and I saw more of the world."

"What do you think of the world so far?"

"Pretty cool, I guess. So tell me about yourself?"

"Umm… I'm 17. My favorite food is spicy fish flakes. I practice with my broadswords in my spare time and my favorite place in the world is Ember Island. Your turn."

They both started floating on their backs on the water and closed their eyes.

"Let's see… I'm turning 15 in a month. I love blubbered seal jerky. Penguins are my favorite animals and my favorite flowers are fire-lilies."

"Firelilies? Aren't you from the Water Tribe?"

"Yeah but I like the firelilies' color. It's just so rich and bright."

"I see…"

There was silence for a few minutes. Both had their eyes closed. Both were just enjoying the cool water, the calm breeze and each other's company.

"Can I ask you something?" she said

He sighed. _Don't act so surprised_,he told himself. _You knew she had to ask sooner or later…_

"What is it?" he said

"Is it okay if you tell me about your scar?"

"What exactly do you want to know?"

"How did you get it?"

There was a long silence. The girl immediately regretted asking the question. She might have struck a nerve and from the looks of it, a big one.

"I'm sorry…" she said softly. "You don't have to answer that. I-"

"My father gave it to me." He interrupted.

She stopped floating and stood up. The water was quite deep so it reached her chest. She saw him still floating, his eyes still closed. She wondered how he could stay so calm about it. She wondered if she wasn't the first person to ask him that question.

"W-Why would he do that?" she said

"Because he felt like I disrespected him…" he said, also standing up. The water covered the top of his abs.

"Did you really?"

"Well, if being ethical and humane is disrespectful to him then yes, I did."

He leaned against a rock. She waded beside him and did the same.

"I think I'm prying too much. Go ask me some personal questions if you want." She said

"Hmm… I can't really think of any…" he said. "I like your necklace."

The girl touched it and looked back at him.

"It was my mother's…" she replied softly

"Was?"

"Umm… She died."

"Oh… Umm… I'm sorry. I didn't know. I-"

"That's okay. I'm used to that kind of reaction."

"Same here, about my scar. If you don't mind me asking, how did she die?"

"Sickness. My brother and I were very little when it happened."

"My condolences. I'm sorry I brought it up. You're probably really bummed out by now."

"That's okay. Now we're even, Sparky."

She winked, lay on her back and backstroked away.

"Hey!" he called, doing the same as she did. "Wait up, Sweetness!"

The talked and talked throughout the afternoon. Before they even realized it, the sun was setting. They got out of the water and started to gather their clothes.

"Oh no…" she said

"What is it?" he replied, putting his pants back on.

"Remember when I splashed you earlier?"

"Yeah."

"Well, apparently, my clothes were drenched too and they aren't dry yet. What am I going to do? I can't go back in my underwear."

"Give them to me…"

"What?"

"Trust me." 

She handed her clothes over to him and watched him as he held a palm up to them.

"Hey, don't burn my clothes!" she said

"I'm not going to. My clothes weren't dry yet too so I heated them up a bit with my firebending. I'm doing the same to your clothes."

"Oh… Cool."

He chuckled.

"It's ironic that you think my _fire_bending is _cool._"

She rolled her eyes at his joke. He smiled back and handed her clothes back.

"Very funny." 

They continued dressing up and walked back to the meadow. By this time, mothers were calling back their children. It was almost time for the festival.

"So… do you have to go back to your brother and dad?" he asked her

"No… I'm free all day. How about you?" she replied

"Same. Umm… You want to do more stuff together?"

"Sure. I want to see the fireworks but I don't want to go into town. There's just too many people."

"I agree. Why don't we stay here in the meadow? We can see the fireworks from here and late at night, there are fireflies."

"Wow… I've never seen those before but I heard they're beautiful…"

"Oh wait, are you hungry?"

"Kind of… Want to pick up something from a stall first then go back?"

She nodded and they walked to town. As they approached the first snack stall, she stopped.

"What's wrong?" he asked

"Umm… is this a date?"

"Uhh… If you want it to be, then yeah."

"T-This is wrong. We're both in outside relationships."

"We're not doing anything wrong. We're two people who met who decided to spend the day together. It's not like we're kissing or making out or whatever." His voice grew softer. "A-And who knows? Maybe tomorrow…umm…we won't see each other anymore…"

"Yeah. Yeah, that's true…" she said. She shook her head and put on a smile again. "Come on, let's go buy some food."

They walked up to the stall and mentally made their food choices.

"Umm…Just for the record…" started the boy. "Will I ever see you again?"

The girl stared in his eyes for a while before answering.

"I don't know."

"Do you want to give me your name?" said the boy shyly

"…. I-I think we should leave it up to fate. Hold that gold coin."

She borrowed the store clerk's brush and handed the brush to the boy.

"Here… Write down your name and address on the coin."

He followed her instructions and handed the coin to her. She got a basket from the side of the stall and grabbed a few fruit tarts, sweet and sour fish flakes, pig-chicken jerky and egg custard pies. She tossed the coin to the store clerk and walked away with their food basket, leaving the boy bewildered.

"Hey!" he called, running after her. "Why did you give the coin away?"

"Well, if it finds its way back to me then I can find you and we'll see from there."

"How about you? Aren't you going to leave a random object into the hands of Fate?"

"Fine."

She looked around her and saw a forgotten scroll lying on the ground. She picked it up and opened it. It was a Waterbending scroll. Somebody must have dropped it and didn't notice.

"Okay, here's the deal." She ran back to the store clerk and borrowed his pen again. The boy followed her. "I'll write my name and address at the bottom of the scroll and I'll sell it to an antique store tomorrow. If it arrives in your hands, come find me."

"Fine…"

They walked back to the meadow just in time for the fireworks. They shared their dinner under the tree where they met.

"I don't know if they have spicy fire flakes here so I got you something close. Hope you like it." She said, munching on her jerky

"It's not bad at all." He answered. "How's that jerky treating you?"

"It's alright. Not as good as blubbered seal jerky but hey, it'll do."

Just as they finished eating, the fireworks display also ended. They lay back and stared at the starry sky.

"Wow…the stars look so beautiful." The girl said dreamily

"Yeah… It's so nice to star-gaze here. If you tried star-gazing back home, you'd be sweating in 5 minutes."

"Well, in the Water Tribe, you can't even go out at night…"

"Huh? Why?"

"Well, it's not that you can't. No one just dares to because 3 steps out there and you'll be mistaken for an icicle the next morning."

They both laughed at her statement. They stayed quiet again for a few minutes, just observing the stars.

"Hey look!" the girl said, pointing up at a group of stars. "That group of stars forms a bear…"

"Uh-huh… " the boy replied. "You know, my mother's name is Ursa…"

"Go on…"

"Ursa means bear."

"Really? That's so cool."

They stayed that way for a few hours. When he heard her yawn, he stood up and helped her up. They walked back to town. When they were near, they stopped again.

"So…I guess the night is over?" the boy asked her.

"I guess… I mean we have to go back to our families some time, right?"

"Look…" he sighed. "I don't know why or how but I feel like our umm… relationship is supposed to be more than this."

"I know but-"

"Look, I can't live with myself not knowing if I'll ever see you again… One day simply isn't enough…"

The girl sighed sadly. She knew he was right. There _was_ something special between them. It was too amazing to be unnoticed. Both knew it, both enjoyed it but alas both were forbidden.

She pulled him to a game stall and handed him a box of small tiles. She also held one in her own hands.

"We walk away from each other a few feet and pick a random tile. After about a minute, we turn back and see. If we picked the same tile, we make plans to meet again. If not, I guess this is goodbye…"

The boy started to turn back.

"By the way, do you plan to tell me your name?" he asked, before walking away

She just smiled and got into position. Seeing that she wouldn't reveal her name, he got into position.

_Think, think, thin..,_ he thought, _What tile could it be? _He closed his eyes and picked a tile. He opened then and saw a white tile with a blue dragon and a red dragon intertwined. He held it tightly and closed his eyes. _Spirits, please…Let this be the tile…_

As if rehearsed, the girl was also doing the same. She also picked the same tile. Deep in her heart, she wanted to stay with this boy, even if she did have someone back home.

_Okay…,_ she thought, _I just have to wait for one minute…_ _59… 58… 57…_

Just then, a young rascal grabbed the whole tray of tiles from the boy's hand and ran away laughing.

"Hey!" he called "Come back here!"

The teenage boy ran after him, hoping to catch him before one minute was over.

_45… 44… 43… _

The teenage girl held the tile so close that her knuckles were turning white. She was praying to the spirits to let this boy stay in her life.

_30... 29… 28…_

The boy almost caught the back of the rascal's robe with his hand. Just as he felt the cloth between his fingertips, he tripped and fell.

"Wait!" he shouted. "Come back! I need those tiles!"

_15… 14… 13…_

The girl was smiling now. She was so sure of that tile.

The boy now realized that he still had that single tile in his hand so it didn't matter if the tray was lost.


	3. Seven Years Later

**Chapter 3: Seven Years Later**

* * *

It has been seven years since that boy and girl met. The boy was now twenty-four and the girl was now twenty-two. Ever since that fateful night, they never went a day without thinking about each other. They haven't seen each other since then but they kept themselves busy with new duties, new places and new fiancés...

The sun slowly crept up the horizon of the Fire Nation. The roosters started to crow, the townspeople started to work and the smell of breakfast being cooked started to waft through the air.

One would think that the royalty would have the luxury of sleeping in everyday but they had just as much, if not more, work as the commoners did. In fact, one sleepyhead prince had a busy day ahead of him.

He had the same dream almost every night. It was always that scene there was a meadow. Under a tree was that girl he met so long ago, a girl whose name he didn't even know. He would run as fast as he can to be with her again but it seemed like the meadow would never end. Then, he would fall into this bottomless pit and he would wake up panting and sweating, just like he did today.

He tried to catch his breath as the droplets of sweat rolled down his bare chest and back. _Calm down… _he thought to himself. _It was just a dream… always has been, always will be_.

Just then, a couple of knocks interrupted his train of thought.

"Who is it?" he called

"Nephew, it is me." answered his Uncle Iroh from outside. "May I come in?"

"Sure…"

His uncle entered and gave his nephew a warm smile. He looked generally jolly and calm all the time. He had a partly bald head with gray hair at the back that was tied into a topknot. He had sideburns which connected to his long gray beard. He had a large belly which matched his large heart. He never got angry at anyone except those who threatened the safety of his family. He didn't even confine himself to the palace. He walked around town, mingling with the commoners, therefore earning the people's love and appreciation.

"Why aren't you dressed yet?" he gently asked, rummaging through his nephew's closet in search of appropriate clothes.

"It's so early, Uncle…" the prince said, rubbing his eyes and adjusting to the light. "And… I didn't sleep well…"

For a moment, Iroh stopped and looked at the prince with concern.

"Is it the dreams again?"

"Yes… It's always the same dream."

"Maybe it's because you always think about that young lady…"

"How can I not, Uncle?"

"Zuko, I suggest you get your mind straight as soon as possible. It will not do the nation any good to have a distracted Fire Lord."

"I know, Uncle. I'm trying… I just… can't stop thinking about her."

"Well, why don't you meet with her again?"

Zuko stood up and stared outside his window wistfully.

"You don't think I've tried?" he said softly, staring intently at the horizon. "If I only knew who she was… If only Father would let me travel to the Southern Water Tribe."

Iroh walked up to his nephew and comfortingly put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Prince Zuko. I cannot help you with matters of the heart. That is one journey that you have to face without me, but I will pray that the Spirits help you with that dilemma."

Zuko simply sighed and looked away from the window.

_Is it really time for me to move on?_ he thought.

"Get dressed, Zuko." said his Uncle. "You have a meditation session with me before breakfast and after breakfast, you have a lesson with your tutor and firebending lessons with me."

Zuko groaned while he put his pants on.

"Am I free in the afternoon?" he asked

"I'm afraid not. We are having tea after firebending and right after lunch, you have to prepare for the party." replied Iroh

"Huh? What party?"

While Zuko put on his vest and his boots, Iroh gave him a puzzled look.

"Nephew, I didn't think you of all people would forget."

"What are you talking about, Uncle?"

"Don't you remember what I talked to you about a few months ago?"

"Oh… You mean…?"

"Yes, Zuko. It's time the Fire Nation found out."

"Well, Aang's going to be there, right?"

"Of course. Why would he miss his best friend's engagement party?"

* * *

The Prince of the Fire Nation was just waking up but the Chief's Daughter was already up and working at dawn. Things were much different in the Southern Water Tribe, and not just because of the absence of vegetation. In the Fire Nation, the royalty (well, at least most) didn't bother themselves with the business of the commoners but in the Southern Water Tribe, everyone worked, no matter how old they were or how high their social statuses were. The older men were currently absent. They were making negotiations with their sister tribe up in the North Pole. Therefore, some women also chose to hunt to compensate for their absence.

One of these women was a young lady with flowing brown hair and aqua blue doe eyes. Every morning at the crack of dawn, she would accompany her older brother, Sokka, to hunt for fish and if they were lucky, seals. Most of the time, Sokka would just get frustrated with her because she was more focused on her waterbending and was always daydreaming instead of helping him catch fish. Of course, her waterbending _did _improve their fishing skills, but Sokka would never admit that.

"Would you stop daydreaming?" he complained to his sister as he leaned over the boat's edge with his spear ready in his hand.

"Hmm…?" she replied, absentmindedly creating heart-shaped ripples in the water.

"Seriously, are you going to help me fish or what?"

"I am… in a minute…"

"What are you daydreaming about anyway? Is it so important that you have to skip catching your own food?"

"Oh, nothing… Nothing at all…"

"It's that boy again, isn't it?" Sokka said, sighing and giving his sister a pitiful look. "That boy you met seven years ago in the Earth Kingdom."

"Fine… I admit it. It's him. So what?"

"Katara, I wish you would stop all this nonsense."

"It's not nonsense, Sokka. It's something special. Trust me."

"How can you say that? You don't even know the guy's name."

"Well, we shared something magical, okay?"

"Really? Something more magical than what you have with Jet?"

Katara frowned and stayed quiet for a few moments.

"O-Of course not… You don't get it, okay? You weren't there."

"Okay, but I suggest you start moving on. If you keep obsessing about this guy, you won't be able to appreciate your relationship with Jet. You might just drive him away if this gets too far."

Katara sighed. Her brother was wrong most of the time but unfortunately, this wasn't one of those times. She knew that if she was going to continue her relationship with Jet, she would have to stop thinking of that guy…

"Plus, you better prepare yourself…" her brother continued.

"What do you mean?" she asked, raising her eyebrow at him

"Well… you're already at an age where you can get married…"

"Sokka, where are you going with this?"

"I'm just saying… Don't be surprised if you get a few marriage proposals soon…"

"Oh… Okay, I guess."

Deep inside, Katara didn't really think anyone would propose. And in case Jet did, why wouldn't she say yes? It's not like she was in love with someone else…

… Or so she thought.

* * *

The day had gone by so fast for Prince Zuko. Usually, he liked days like these but he just didn't want the evening to arrive. That night, there was going to be a party at the palace. Unfortunately, his attendance was required.

Well, of course, what kind of engagement party would it be without the groom?

Yes, Prince Zuko was to be married soon but alas, not to that girl he had dreamt about for so long. When he was eight years old, his parents set up an arranged marriage for him. He never liked the idea so his mother promised him that she would do everything she could to change the plan. Sadly, she died before she could fulfill this promise.

It wasn't as if he was getting married to someone horrible. In fact, she was a daughter of a general. Her name was Mai. She had long straight ebony hair that was partly up and partly down, smooth porcelain skin and a cold demeanor. When she was around commoners, she was unfriendly and snobbish but when she was around nobility, she was fake and sycophantic. Her idea of "fun" was being waited on hand and foot by everyone, even Zuko. Despite all these, she was kind enough to him and she wasn't at all bad to look at but to Zuko, she was a dull unpolished rock compared to the sapphire gem that he met seven years ago.

If he had a choice, he wouldn't go through with the wedding. He wasn't even sure if he loved Mai enough to marry her. As an ordinary boy, he would never wed someone he wasn't sure of but as the Prince of the Fire Nation, he had to. If he didn't there would be no heir to the throne and with no heir, there would be political unrest.

A rhythmic banging of drums was heard and after that, a clanging sound of a gong echoed through the palace. It was time.

His Uncle had taken the stage and was announcing the true purpose of this occasion.

"Good evening, citizens. Thank you all for coming to our little festivity but I must admit we have an ulterior motive for inviting you all here…" Iroh proclaimed

Immediately, a wave of whispers travelled throughout the audience. Zuko breathed deeply and prepared himself to face the crowd.

"We all know that it is almost time for our very own Prince Zuko to take the throne. To prepare himself for this position, he has decided to share the throne with someone very special."

_I have decided? Pfft… When have I ever gotten the last word around here?_ Zuko thought to himself.

"The truth is…" Iroh continued. "This is an engagement party for our prince! He is getting married to Lady Mai, a daughter of the Fire Lord's most trusted generals, in two and a half months!"

Having heard this, the crowd cheered excitedly.

_Well, at least _someone's_ happy about this…_ Zuko thought

"So now, I present the lovely couple…" Iroh said, slowly stepping aside to reveal a slowly rising curtain. "Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation and Lady Mai!"

Zuko stood straight, plastered a small pretentious smile on his face and stepped forward, revealing himself to the audience. Not a single unhappy face was seen in the crowd. He tried to mirror their excitement as he snuck a side-glance at Mai. Surprisingly, this was one of the rare times that she actually… smiled. She seemed so happy about everything. She was even waving to the audience. Seeing her right now, one would never think that she was really dull behind the scenes.

Silently crying for help, Zuko gave his uncle a pleading look but his Uncle just looked at him solemnly and gestured his hand towards the prince's fiancé. Hopelessly, Zuko walked over to Mai and gave her the sweetest smile he could squeeze out at that moment.

"Zuko, what's wrong?" Mai asked out of the side of her widely-smiling mouth. "You look kind of… constipated…"

"Umm…" he said, quickly replacing what he thought was a sweet smile with a toothy grin. "I was kind of going for a cute smile."

"Umm… okay? We'll work on that later… "

Zuko inwardly groaned. He hated when she was being snotty, especially in front of the public.

Soon, he and Mai started talking to the crowd. They received a lot of congratulations and best wishes. There were also uncomfortable questions like "How many kids do you want to have?" Thankfully, Zuko saw a blue-arrowed bald head among the crowd. He quickly rushed over, not even caring about leaving Mai behind.

"Hey, Aang!" Zuko called, giving his best friend a high five. "You made it!"

"Of course! Hey, congratulations buddy!" Aang replied, slapping his friend on the back.

"Oh no…Not you too!"

Zuko quickly rolled his eyes and walked to the empty balcony.

"What? What did I do?" Aang asked, following Zuko

"Aang, don't play dumb. You know all too well about how I feel about this whole thing."

"What? I thought you were over that girl."

"Of course not! How can I get over Mai when I see her almost every day?"

"Not her, dumbass! That Water Tribe girl you keep dreaming about…"

"Oh… of course… Of course, I am."

Aang stepped in front of him and looked him straight in the eye.

"Really? You think by now I still can't tell whether you're lying or not? Come on, Zuko. Tell me the truth!"

"Okay, fine! I'm still completely obsessed with her! I mean… I think I… " Zuko faltered, his voice slowly softening.

"What? What is it?"

"I… I think I'm in love with her…"

"Wha-"

"I know! I know it seems so… out there but she was _something_, Aang… I don't think I'll ever meet anyone else like her. I think I actually love her more than I love Mai…"

Zuko gazed at Mai who was chatting with some tittering girls that he didn't know.

"Well… You know what I think?" Aang said with a mischievous gleam forming in his eyes.

Zuko raised his eyebrow and looked at him suspiciously.

"Uh-oh…" he said. "I know that look. You're planning something bad, aren't you?"

"Well… it's not bad, okay? It also benefits the wedding."

Zuko sighed and clutched his forehead.

_What the hell?_ he thought _Might as well give it a shot…_

"I'm listening…" Zuko replied

"Well… what if you tell your father that you'll bring Mai and I to the Earth Kingdom to shop for exotic wedding décor?"

"Then?"

"Then once we're there, we can go off and find your little dreamboat! It's brilliant, right?"

"How are we going to get there?"

"On Appa, of course!"

"Umm… How am I going to separate from Mai?"

"Okay. How about we bring a few of those girls she's chatting with? She'll be so busy planning the wedding that she won't even notice we were gone!"

"You expect you, me, Mai, about two of those girls and about five servants to fit on Appa's back? Plus you know Mai always likes to travel luxuriously. She'd prefer her own ship or something."

"How long does it take to get to the Earth Kingdom by ship?"

"Two… Three days, tops."

"Fine… I guess we have time… So it's settled?"

Zuko paused for a moment. Was he really going to risk his marriage for a girl he met seven years ago? Was he really going to put everything he had worked for in danger just for the one in a million chance of meeting her again?

"So what is it going to be?" repeated Aang.

"Fine… I'll tell Father tonight. If all goes well, we leave first thing tomorrow…"

* * *

The cold winds of the night blew around the Southern Water Tribe's village. They didn't care. They were used to it already. As part of a tradition, all of the villagers would sit around a campfire and eat dinner together. At times, some would dance or sing or play instruments for everyone. But tonight, someone was making a very special announcement for a beautiful blue-eyed maiden who had captured his heart.

Jet put his arm around Katara's shoulders and lovingly smiled at her. She returned the smile but in her mind, she imagined staring at those golden eyes she had seen seven years ago.

"Hey, Katara…" Jet said

"Yes?" she replied

"I have something very special for you tonight…"

"R-Really? What is it?"

_Oh my god…_ Katara thought. _Is he going to propose?_

"If you don't mind, I kind of want to share this with everyone…" Jet said nervously

"Okay…"

With that, Jet took a deep breath, stood up and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Excuse me? Everybody, I have an announcement to make!"

The talking and whispering slowly disappeared and all eyes were on him.

"A-As you know…" he continued. "I have spent many years with this tribe and never have I felt more at home. You have all treated me with kindness and love and have adopted me into your family when I had no one. But the blessings did not stop there…"

Jet reached out his hand, took Katara's and helpedher stand up. The whole tribe was staring at them. They both felt nervous but each had a different reason.

"I met her… Katara of the Southern Water Tribe… She is the most intelligent, most benevolent and most beautiful girl that I've ever met. She is truly the jewel of this tribe… no offense to anyone out there…"

His statement drew out a few chuckles from the crowd. Jet reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a necklace - a blue ribbon with a brown stone with a carving, symbolizing Katara's and Jet's nationalities.

Seeing this, Katara gasped. Unbeknownst to the crowd was that she _didn't_ want him to propose. She did find him caring and funny. Also, Jet's physical qualities were quite a good combination – wild russet hair, coffee-colored eyes and the most charming smile that could make any girl faint. But to Katara, there was just no spark. To her, they just didn't mix – like oil and water.

Deep inside, she wanted to just run away but she knew she couldn't. She knew this meant a lot to Jet. She couldn't hurt him… at least, not this way. Consequently, she decided to put on the biggest smile she could fake and just go with the flow.

"Just like all of you have made me feel so happy and loved, I would like to do the same to her. I want to marry her and spend the rest of my life with her."

Jet stared at her with his puppy-dog eyes. Who could say no to that? The guilt was ripping up Katara's insides but she kept a calm exterior.

Katara unclasped her mother's necklace but held it tightly in her hand just so that she can let Jet put his betrothal necklace on her neck. She held his hand for effect and gave him a peck on the cheek.

The tribe started cheering and hooting for the couple as they sat down and cuddled.

"So… is that a yes?" whispered Jet in Katara's ear

"O-Of course…" she replied.

"Are you sure about this? I don't want you to go along with something you didn't want to do… I want you to be happy, okay?"

Katara paused. Why wouldn't she want to marry Jet? He's sweet, kind, smart and handsome… They already had a loving relationship so why not take it to the next level? Besides, there was no one that Katara would be happier with…

… Right?

* * *

Author's Note:

Yey! Halfway done with the fic!

Yeah, I know. You guys hate me for not updating for so long but at least I'm back, right? :)

By the way, I don't mean any offense to Mai or Jet fans. I just described Mai and Jet that way so that they won't seem that appealing in this story.

Don't worry guys. Zuko and Katara _will_ end up together. :D

Hope you liked it! R&R please! :D


	4. Signs & Decisions

**Chapter 4: Signs and Decisions**

* * *

_Zuko paused for a moment. Was he really going to risk his marriage for a girl he met seven years ago? Was he really going to put everything he had worked for in danger just for the one in a million chance of meeting her again?_

"_So what is it going to be?" repeated Aang._

"_Fine… I'll tell Father tonight. If all goes well, we leave first thing tomorrow…"_

Hours passed and the sky grew darker but the festivities in the Fire Nation Palace were far from being over. Zuko tried to avoid Mai and the party guests as much as possible. He never even wanted this engagement. Had it not been part of his duty as a prince, it would never have even entered his mind. To get away from the crowd, he and Aang decided to take a walk through the town. Wearing his cloak to disguise himself, he and Aang quietly snuck out the door.

"Zuko?" an elderly voice said. "Where are you going?"

Zuko turned around and saw his uncle waiting for him. The prince expected him to scold or yell at him and drag him back to the party but it seemed like the old man just wanted an answer.

"I-I was just going to take a walk through the town…" he muttered

"You are just going to leave your own engagement party?"

Zuko looked at him pleadingly and caused his uncle to sigh and chuckle.

"Very well, Zuko… But be careful. Don't get caught. Just remember, it will not be me who will suffer if your father finds out about this. I'll try my best to cover for you here."

"Thank you…"

With that, Zuko put on his hood and ran outside the palace doors.

They escaped the palace walls without difficulty. After all, this was not the first time that the pair tried to sneak out. Being the heir to the throne, Zuko knew who was on guard and how to sneak past them. Soon, they arrived at the marketplace. Even at night, the place was just as rowdy and active. They passed by stalls that sold fire flakes, fire lilies and even jars of fireflies.

"Aang?" Zuko said. "I don't know about this…"

"Dude, you're already out of the Palace." Aang replied, chewing a fire flake

"No. About the Water Tribe girl."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure if I want to go through with the plan…"

"What? Why?"

"Okay, first of all, my dad would kill me if he found out that I was crushing on someone from another country. Second, Mai's already here. Third, finding another woman two months before your wedding is one of the most asshole-y moves ever."

"Your dad isn't going to find out. Besides, almost everyone in the palace likes you better anyway. You have more people to cover for you."

"What about Mai?"

"You _hate_ Mai."

"Hey, _hate_ is such a strong word. I…. dislike her."

"That's too much of an understatement."

"You know what I mean, Aang. Besides, even if I did hate her, I have to stop it because well, how can I hate someone I'm going to marry?"

"Fine, fine. But just think about it… You _have_ to find this girl."

"Why do I _have_ to?"

"Okay, let's just say that deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep …" Aang said, taking another big breath. "Deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep…."

"Can you get to the point already?"

"….Deep down inside, you _might_ love Mai."

"Go on…"

"You have to find this other girl to truly appreciate Mai."

"What do you mean?"

"What if that Water Tribe girl turns out horrible? If that happens, you can learn to love Mai more."

"What if she's the most amazing girl I've ever met?"

"Hmm…" Aang said, starting to wiggle his eyebrows. "Well, _hello_ Water Tribe hottie."

Zuko just pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and kept walking. They stayed in the marketplace for hours and no one even recognized them. The prince, however, noticed so many details about his environment. It was as if the universe was sending him signs about the girl. He remembered one of the things she said before. _"Let's see… I'm turning 15 in a month. I love blubbered seal jerky. Penguins are my favorite animals and my favorite flowers are fire-lilies." _

"Blubbered seal jerky! Get your blubbered seal jerky here! Fresh from the Water Tribe!" yelled a shopkeeper.

Zuko shook the thoughts of destiny out of his head. _It's just a coincidence…_

Later on, they passed by a ball-throwing game. A man had knocked over all the pins and won a plush toy for the girl he was with.

"I want the penguin!" she said.

To calm his nerves, Zuko ran to the fountain and splashed some water on his face. Aang caught up to him and sat down on the edge of the fountain.

"You okay?" Aang said. "What happened to you back there?"

"The universe is sending me signs, Aang. Signs about her." Zuko replied

"Huh?"

"She told me before that she loved blubbered seal jerky and right after you and I were talking about her, we passed a stall selling blubbered seal jerky."

"Coincidence."

"_Then, _we passed by that game and we saw that guy giving a stuffed penguin to his girlfriend. That Water Tribe girl loves penguins!"

"Still a coincidence."

"Bu-"

They were interrupted by a young girl carrying a basket of flowers in her hands. They were fire lilies.

"Would you like to buy a flower, sir?" she said meekly

Showing a small smile, Zuko handed her a silver coin. The girl handed him the biggest reddest fire lily and skipped away.

"See?" Zuko said, pointing to the flower in his hands. "Do you see now?"

"You lost me."

"Her favorite flowers are fire lilies!"

"Dude, you're overreacting!"

"I am not! You're the Avatar! You should know about this universe thing!"

"So what do you want me to do about it?"

"I… I don't know, okay?"

"Zuko… I really think you need closure on this."

"I know…"

"I think the only way to get closure is to find her."

"Fine. But you have to help me."

"Don't worry. I got your back."

* * *

Katara braced herself as she walked up to her new fiancé, Jet. She knew her entire clan would never allow her if they really knew what she was going to do but she had never been one to conform to society's norms. She was going to go through with it whether they liked it or not.

"Jet?" she said, tapping his shoulder

Jet turned to her and gave her a gentle smile. It was surprising that he could hide his joy. After all, Katara had just agreed to marry him the previous night. He was so happy that he almost somersaulted in the air.

"What is it?" he said, slowly taking her hands in his.

"Well… we're getting married soon and…"

"And?"

"Well, I was hoping you would allow Ty Lee and I to travel to the Earth Kingdom tomorrow. I can look for wedding décor and she can help me."

Katara gulped. _If he says no, it's all over…_

"Of course you can go. Why wouldn't I allow you?" Jet replied with a chuckle.

"I don't know. You might want me here or something." Katara said, inwardly sighing with relief

"I do. But hey, the wedding is all up to you, you know. I don't want to get in the way of your planning."

"Oh… Okay then. Thank you, Jet."

Katara hugged him. It was real this time, not like those forced ones last night. Despite the fact that she wasn't sure that she loved him, he was still a great guy and that made Katara feel even more guilty than she already did.

She started walking out of Jet's igloo when he stopped her.

"Before you go…" he said. "Do me a favor."

"What is it?"

"No pink stuff." he said with a grin. "I don't want our wedding to look like something out of Ty Lee's wardrobe."

Katara giggled at this.

"Don't worry." she replied, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "No one does."

As soon as she stepped outside, she ran to her best friend's igloo. Usually, the villagers would put a tapestry or some form of décor in front of their igloos to distinguish them from one another. Ty Lee didn't need any. She had the most distinct igloo of them all.

Before she decided to permanently move to the Southern Water Tribe, she bought a bottle of pink powder from a witch doctor in the Earth Kingdom. No one knew how she did it but she used that pink powder to make her igloo entirely pink. It lasted at least half a year but when she ran out, she would just travel back and buy more. At first, the Tribe thought it was strange and some even thought that it disrespected their traditions but they all grew to love her quirkiness.

Katara knocked on the door of this pink igloo.

"Ty? It's me!" she called

"Come in." an upbeat voice answered

When Katara opened the door, she wasn't surprised to see her friend doing something New Age again.

Ty Lee was upside-down on a pink mat. She balanced on her head and her legs bent in different positions while her hands remained in praying position on her chest. She was surrounded by candles that smelled like different flowers.

"Ohhhhmmmm….." Ty Lee droned. "Ohhhmmmm…."

"Ty Lee, I hate to bother you but I have to ask you something very important." Katara said quite impatiently.

"Ohhhmmm…. Is it more important than spiritual enlightenment? Ohhhmmmm….."

"Trust me. It is."

Ty Lee breathed out one last "Ohhmmm" and slowly positioned herself in an upright Indian-sitting position. She inhaled then exhaled and finally opened her big cheerful eyes.

"Okay, spill it." she said, squeezing her friend.

"I want you to go with me to visit the Earth Kingdom."

"Oh my gosh! It's been a long time since I've been there! Oh! Are we going to go shopping?"

"Umm… partly… For wedding décor…"

Katara bit her lip. Sure, Ty Lee was her best friend but it was still nerve wracking to tell her that she wasn't sure of her fiancé.

"Well… what else are we going to do?"

"Look, what I'm about to tell you is extremely confidential. No one can know."

"Is it really that bad?"

"It's worse. Can I trust you?"

"Of course you can. Come on, I'm your best friend."

"Fine but I swear, if you tell anyone, and I mean_ anyone_, I'll shave all your hair off in the middle of the night."

Ty Lee gasped and fiddled with her braid, like she always did when she was worried.

"Wow, it is serious. I won't tell. I promise." Ty Lee said, shaking Katara's pinky with hers.

"Okay… So remember that guy I told you about? The Fire Nation guy?"

"You mean the one you met seven years ago? Sure. What about him?"

Katara took a deep breath.

"… I'm not over him."

"What do you mean?"

"I think… I want to see him again."

"What? Does Jet know?"

"Of course not."

"Wait, I still don't get it. Why do you want to meet this guy if you already have Jet?"

"Because the truth is, I'm not sure about Jet. In fact, I think that Fire Nation guy is the one for me!"

Ty Lee gasped and leaned forward in shock.

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"But he proposed last night!"

"I know!"

"And you said yes!"

"I know!"

"And you let him think you still loved him!"

"I know, okay? God, I'm scum! I am officially a scum of the earth!"

Katara covered her face with her hands and groaned.

"Hey, you're not scum, okay?" Ty Lee said, comforting her friend. "You're just confused."

"But is that bad? Should I not be confused or this is normal?"

"You're asking the wrong person, hon. Sorry, but I've never been engaged before."

"Well do you think I should go through with it?"

"The trip or the wedding?"

"I have an idea but you'll probably think it sucks."

"Ty Lee, I'm desperate. At this point, anything will do."

"Fine, fine. What if you go through with the trip? If we find that guy you're looking for, you get to know him then you decided whom you want to be with but if we don't, let's take it as a sign from the universe that it wasn't meant to be. Then if that happens, we go back home and you marry Jet and everyone's happy!" Ty Lee said excitedly with her arms stretched in a "V" position above her head. "Wait. You _do_ love Jet, right?"

"Of course, I do! I'm just not sure if I love him enough to marry him."

"Well, maybe you just need closure about that Fire nation dude."

"Yeah, maybe. So you'll come with me?"

"Of course! Plus I need to buy more pink powder for my igloo!"

Katara giggled with her friend and gave her a hug. It was nice to know that she could always count on Ty Lee.

"How are we going to get there? We don't exactly have the luxury of time." Ty Lee remarked

"We'll ride along with the men heading back to the Northern Tribe. They just got new boats. They're faster and much bigger."

"Okay. When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow!"

"Yay! I love impromptu trips! I better start packing."

"Oh yeah. Me too. I'll see you, later okay? Thanks again, Ty!" Katara said, running back to her igloo.

As she packed her belongings, she decided to bring her good luck charm, a Pai Sho tile engraved with dragons that she has kept for seven years. At the back, she drew a black "K" on it so no one would ever mistake it as theirs.

She squeezed in her palm and prayed to the spirits.

_Please… Please help us find him again…_

* * *

Author's Note:

Yey! I updated! Feel free to comment or suggest or whatever :D I'm not sure if I can extend this fic up to 10 chapters but I'll try :D

Thank you so so so so so so so so much for the ongoing support! Love you guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or Serendipity.

Hope you guys liked it! R&R please!


	5. So Near Yet So Far

**Chapter 5: So Near Yet So Far**

* * *

And so the adventure started for both of our protagonists. As they travelled to the Earth Kingdom, they kept each other in their hearts and minds, remembering every word, every touch and every smile. As they lay awake in bed, they gripped their identical Pai Sho tiles and prayed to the spirits for their blessing on their journeys.

"So where should we start?" said Aang, holding out a map in front of him and Zuko.

"Uhh…. I hadn't really thought about that…"

"Okay. No big deal. Do you have any leads on her whereabouts?"

"Umm…. No?" Zuko said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly

"Zuko, how do you expect us to find her if you don't even have a single clue about where she is right now?"

"….. How about we wing it?"

Aang slapped his forehead and groaned.

"You really have to start thinking things through."

"I know… Well, I kind of have one clue… Sort of… Maybe…"

"Okay, shoot."

"Remember I told you that she made me put my name and address on a coin?"

"Yeah, and then she bought something with it."

"Yeah… Then she did the same but with a Water tribe scroll."

"Then?"

"Then she said she would sell it in an antique store the following day."

"Go on…"

"So I guess we can start by looking for the scroll in the antique stores here."

Aang studied the map and marked all the antique stores in Ba Sing Se. He gave Zuko a doubtful look.

"Dude, there are like 50 stores in Ba Sing Se alone. Ba Sing Se doesn't even make up a quarter of the Earth Kingdom. How do you even know it's here?"

"Because we met in this city seven years ago, okay? If she did sell it the following day, chances are, she sold it here."

"Fine, fine. By the way, does Mai know where you are?"

"Of course not. I left her a note. I said I had important business to take care of with the Earth King."

"You think she'll buy that?"

"Hope so…"

* * *

The moment Katara stepped off the boat, Ty Lee immediately dragged her to the different stalls that sold little trinkets and charms. Katara had decided to let her have this day to shop. She did owe her, after all. By the time the sun had set on the horizon of Ba Sing Se, their arms were filled with shopping bags of watchamacallits and thingamabobs. Ty Lee bought her New Age essentials – candles, charms, incense, new yoga mats, and even charmed bracelets, along with some new clothes fresh off Ba Sing Se's spring line. Katara also bought new clothes and accessories and a few things to bring back home to her family, mostly home decorations. They even bought matching multi-colored purses. As they walked the streets side by side, their arms ached from the load they had been carrying all day.

"Wasn't this fun, Katara?" Ty Lee squealed as if her arms didn't have red marks from the shopping bags.

"Sure was." Katara replied contentedly. "I hope you've found everything you need."

"I think so. Did you?"

"Of course. This'll be more than enough for a whole year!"

"Seriously? I can't survive not shopping for that long!"

"I know, I know. But hey, shopping's not really my thing."

"That coming from a girl who has more shopping bags than I do?"

"Hey, most of these are for my family, okay?"

"Fine, fine. I'm kind of disappointed though."

"Why?"

"Because I can't find that pink powder for my igloo!"

"So?"

"If I don't replenish my stock, my igloo will just be blue and boring!"

Katara gave her a look and Ty Lee grinned nervously.

"…. No offense." Ty Lee replied

"Well, I'm sure it's around here somewhere."

"Yeah…. So, what do you want to do tomorrow?"

"I think we should get to business."

"Do you have any leads on that guy?"

"No… But hey, we'll just wing it!"

"Aye, aye Captain!"

As they turned a corner, they found their hotel, The White Lotus. Before the two could enter, Ty Lee gasped.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked

"Look!" Ty lee replied, pointing to a stall just a few feet away from the hotel. "It's that store where I buy my pink powder!"

"Go ahead and buy some. Just go up to our room when you're done. I'll check us in."

"You sure?"

"Of course."

Katara chuckled at her best friend as she stepped inside their hotel and checked in. It was funny how she was always so drawn to people who were her complete opposites…

Ty Lee entered the shop and looked around. She had bought almost every product they sold. Since she went here regularly, the shopkeeper already knew her.

"Hello, dearie!" she said, greeting Ty Lee with a kiss on each cheek. "You came early. Aren't you supposed to visit a month later?"

"Yes, but my friend asked me to come with her so I'm like 'Why not? More of the Earth Kingdom to enjoy!"

"Good for you! I have a big bottle of the powder reserved for you right here."

The old woman reached behind the counter, pulled out a large box and presented it to Ty Lee.

"Why is it so big?" Ty Lee asked

"I packed the bottle inside and added foam in the box so that it's safe for travel."

"Aww, that's so nice of you!"

"Anything for my best client, dearie."

"So do you have anything new?"

"Well, I do have a scroll for new yoga techniques. It comes with a set of candles with assorted scents."

"Ooohh! I'll take that along with my powder!"

The old woman packed Ty Lee's goods into a bag and handed it to her. Ty Lee gave her a few coins to pay.

"I'm sorry, dear. The only coin I have that I can give you for change is quite dirty. It has some writing on it."

"That's alright. A little writing never hurt anybody."

Cheerfully, the old woman handed her the gold coin. Ty lee thanked her, gave her a hug and walked away with her newly-purchased wares.

_Weird…_ Ty Lee thought as she studied the gold coin. _Why would anyone write their name and address on a coin?_

* * *

Two days later, Zuko and Aang were still searching every antique store in Ba Sing Se. Another day was almost over and they had no luck. They sat on a bench beside a fountain and groaned in frustration.

"Zuko, it's been two freakin' days." Aang complained. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, okay?" Zuko replied, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "And even if I wasn't sure, we have no choice. It's the only lead I've got."

"Fine, fine. How many stores do we have left?"

"Just one. It's just around the corner."

"Okay, but what are you going to do if we can't find it?"

"…. I don't know. I'll wait for a sign… maybe."

"Right…. Let's go."

Following the map's directions, they arrived at the antique store and entered. A small bell rang when they opened the door. The shop was filled with old vases, portraits and furniture. On one corner, there were cubbyholes with different scrolls in them. Zuko raced towards it and scanned the labels of every cubbyhole.

"Interested in scrolls, eh?" said the old man, blowing smoke from his pipe

"Umm… yeah… Do you have anything from the Water Tribe?"

The old shopkeeper pondered for a while before he answered.

"You know Water Tribe scrolls aren't usually sold. They're very precious to the Water Tribe, especially to the elders."

"I know but I know someone who sold theirs to an antique store… I hope to find it… By any chance, did anyone ever sell you a scroll?"

"Only once… Seven years ago… By a young girl from the Water Tribe…"

Zuko and Aang looked at each other in amazement.

"No frickin way…" Aang gasped in disbelief. "What are the chances?"

"W-What did she look like?" Zuko asked, feeling as if this was a dream

"I'm afraid I don't quite remember but I know she had long brown hair and blue eyes. I know she's from the Southern Water Tribe because she mentioned it when I asked her about her nationality."

"Oh, god, that's her!" Zuko said, shaking Aang in excitement. "That's _her_! Tell me sir, was there anything special about the scroll?"

"Yes, yes. She did apologize because it had writing on it. I didn't read it, however. I normally don't take damaged goods but since it was so rare, I bought it from her."

Zuko speedily grabbed his bag of money and put it on the counter.

"I'll take it." he said.

"I-I'm sorry-"

"Please, sir, it's very important." Zuko said, interrupting the shopkeeper.

"I'm afraid you're too late. Someone else bought it a few days ago."

"What! Do you have the name of the customer?"

"I'm sorry. I don't keep a record."

Zuko groaned and stomped out of the shop in anger. _Why am I always too late? _Aang caught up with him and made him calm down. They sat back down on the same bench they were sitting on before they entered the store.

"Hey, we got another clue, right?" Aang said, trying to cheer his friend up

"What clue?"

"The Southern Water Tribe."

"What about it?"

"She lives there, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Let's take Appa and ride there."

"What?"

"Come on, let's go!"

"Aang, I don't think you're being realistic."

"It's the only hope we've got. You're the one who wants to find this chick, remember?"

"I know… But hell, what if this is a sign?"

"What?"

"You know, the scroll was gone… Maybe it means something…"

"Don't tell me you're giving up."

"Maybe I should! This trip hasn't done anything for you or me, okay? I'm getting married in a few weeks and I'm out here looking for some random girl who may or may not even be as awesome as I make her out to be!"

"Dude, so what? So what if you do find her and you're disappointed? So what if you're getting married in a few weeks? So what if this trip ends up being the biggest waste of time ever? At least you tried!"

"But-"

"Shut up and let me finish. Zuko, I know you. If you do end up marrying Mai without closure on this other girl, you're going to regret it for the rest of your life! There will always be a 'what if' if you don't go through with it! If this Water Tribe girl doesn't meet your expectations… you'll have no regrets, right?"

"I-I guess…."

"Come on. You have a few weeks left anyway. It'll take about a week and a half to go to the Southern Water Tribe. When we arrive there, we find her, then boom! Make your decision. By the time we get back, you'll have enough time to get ready for the wedding…. if there's going to be one."

"Well, are you okay with this? Look, I know this is a lot to put on you and Appa. You don't have to go through with it if you don't want to."

"Trust me… I want to. You know… this is why you're my best friend. You always act on impulse and you barely think about your actions…"

"Gee, thanks."

"No… I mean, I can't do that! I have to think about every single thing. You remind me to just have fun, Zuko…"

Zuko gave his friend a small smile and patted him on the back. Aang gave him a hug in return. After a few seconds, they still didn't let go of each other.

"Umm… Aang?" Zuko said uncomfortably. "Maybe we should let go…"

They quickly turned away from each other and acted like it never happened. Aang stood up and tried being more manly.

"Maybe that's why guys never do that…"

* * *

"So, Katara…" Ty Lee asked, stretching as her friend relaxed on a bench by a fountain. "What are we going to do tomorrow?"

"I don't know" Katara said sadly. "I can't believe I wasted this whole day!"

"Huh?"

"Hello, we spent all day in that meadow where me and that guy first met! If I had more concentration, I probably would have gotten some work done."

"Chillax, bestie. We have lots of time, you know."

"I know, I know. I just want to hurry because… I don't know… I have a feeling that if I don't, I'll be too late…"

"Too late for what?"

"I don't know… I just feel it somehow…"

"Have you been inhaling my incense? You don't usually talk about New Age stuff."

"I know… It's weird, right?"

"Totally…"

"Anyway, we have to start looking for him tomorrow."

"How?"

"Let's just ask everyone we meet if they've ever seen a pale guy with black hair and a big scar on the left side of his face."

"…. Are you sure this guy is hot?"

"Trust me, Ty. You have no idea…"

Ty Lee shrugged and continued looking around. She was scanning across the fountain when she eyed a boy about her age wearing orange and yellow.

He was standing next to another boy in red, who turned away from them. She winked at the boy in orange flirtatiously and waved. He waved back shyly and started to walk towards her. Before he could even take two steps, his friend called him and dragged him away. The boy in orange shrugged and gave Ty Lee one last smile before he disappeared from sight. Ty Lee giggled, catching Katara's attention.

"What are you giggling about?" Katara asked

"I just saw a cute boy." Ty Lee said. "You know, if I ever see him again, you and I could double date with him and his friend."

Katara gave her friend a playful slap on the arm before standing up to go back to their hotel.

"We'll see, Ty… We'll see…"

* * *

Author's Note:

Zutara's almost here! :D Anyway, just imagine that Aang is less goody-goody and nearer to Zuko's age in this story :D

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or serendipity.

Hope you like it! R&R please!


	6. Going Downhill

**Chapter 6: Going Downhill**

* * *

It was already sunset by the time Zuko and Aang arrived at their temporary residence in Ba Sing Se's Upper Ring. Inside, they found Mai getting a spa treatment from her servants. Zuko hesitantly walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey…" he said, smiling politely

Mai returned the smile and gestured to the servants to give her and her fiancé some alone time. Aang gave her a polite nod and entered his room, leaving the couple alone.

"Where have you been?" she said. "I feel like I haven't seen you this entire trip."

"I'm sorry, Mai. I just had some work to do."

"Shouldn't your Uncle be taking care of your work?"

"No, I need to train myself…. I'm next in line, after all."

Zuko felt guilty for lying. It was a stone was caught in his throat every time he tried to talk. He wanted to tell her the truth so badly. Even if she wasn't the nicest person in the world, she still deserved to know. But then, Zuko followed his rebellious side and kept quiet about what he had really been doing.

"So how's the wedding planning going?" he said, effectively changing the topic

"Not bad, actually." Mai replied, leaning on his shoulder. "There are a lot of nice flowers in this city. I was thinking maybe we could bring some home for the wedding."

"Sure… Whatever you want…"

"Zuko, are you sure you're okay?"

Zuko forced himself to grin and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Yeah, I am… Don't worry. I'm just thinking about a trip I have to take…"

"What trip?"

"Umm… I have to go to the Southern Water Tribe for a few days… I have to leave tomorrow."

"What? But you just got here! You're leaving again?"

"…. If it's okay with you, then I will."

Mai sighed and kept quiet for a moment. What could she do, after all? He did have duties as a prince. There would be even more once he becomes Fire Lord. _I suppose I should get used to this_, she thought.

"Okay… but on one condition…" she said.

"What is it?"

"Just… stay safe, okay? I don't want you getting hurt out there, especially since you're so far away."

Her fiancé kissed her in return while he mentally slapped himself. _Great_, he thought,_ Just when I'm about to chase another girl, she becomes all nice and sweet. I feel like an even bigger ass than before. Why do you hate me, universe?_

"Speaking of the Water Tribe…" Mai said, standing up and searching for something in one of the drawers of a nearby desk.

She revealed a tube-shaped parcel wrapped in brown paper. She sat beside him and handed him the tube.

"What's this?" he asked, genuinely surprised

"Consider it an early wedding present."

Nervously, he unwrapped the package. Slowly tearing away the brown wrapping paper, he held in hands another packaging tube. He unscrewed the lid and let its contents fall into his hands. His eyes widened when he saw what fell out. His breath caught in his throat and his mouth dried up. To him, it all felt like a dream. It was too much of a coincidence.

Inside the tube was a Water Tribe scroll.

"Wh-Where did you get this?" he stammered, carefully undoing the string that kept the scroll rolled up.

"Well, I noticed that whenever we would go around the city, you would always stop by antique shops and look for Water Tribe scrolls. I didn't know if you already found one but I passed an antique shop the other day and the old man said he had this so I bought it."

"Did he happen to say that it was the only one that had ever been sold to him?"

"Yes… Wait, how did you know?"

"…. I just figured… Water Tribe scrolls are rarely found in the market…"

Zuko unfurled the rolled-up scroll scanned it. There were drawings of people in different bending positions. They served as instructions for a technique called "The Water Whip." He took a deep breath and reached for a bottom corner of the scroll. He folded back the corner and there it was…

Her name and address were there, written in black ink, as distinct as the scar on his face.

"I hope you like it." Mai said, interrupting his train of thought.

Zuko smiled to himself and gave Mai a genuine look of appreciation.

"I love it."

* * *

It was just after sunrise when Aang and Zuko set off for the Southern Water Tribe. While Aang held Appa's reins, Zuko stayed on the saddle and read the writings on the back of the water bending scroll again and again.

"So then what happened?" Aang said

"Well, what could I do?" Zuko said, half groaning. "I told her I loved it. I mean, I really did love the gift… Just for a different reason…"

"So what did she say about this trip?"

"She said stay safe."

"Seriously?"

"Uh-huh. She's being so nice now. It makes me feel so much more worse than I did before."

"Maybe she thinks you're cheating on her."

"Huh? Me? Cheating? No way!"

Aang turned around and gave him a look.

"What?" Zuko said, raising his hands defensively. "Technically, I'm not! Wait, whose side are you on anyway? You convinced me to do this!"

"I know. It's just fun to piss you off sometimes." Aang replied, chuckling

Zuko crawled over to the edge of the saddle and gave Aang a slap on the head.

"Okay, I deserved that" Aang said, rubbing the back of his head

"Damn right." Zuko replied, smirking to himself.

"In retrospect, this is beyond funny. I mean, it's so ironic that your current fiancé gave you a gift that would automatically lead you to 'the other woman.'"

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Gee, Aang. Thanks for giving my guilt a slogan."

* * *

A few days later, Aang and Zuko arrived at the village. Aang made Appa keep his distance from the villagers so they wouldn't attract attention. They landed a few yards from the village and walked the rest of the way.

"Wh-What's h-her a-address?" Aang said, shivering from the cold

Zuko led the way using the address on the scroll and they arrived in front of an ordinary-looking igloo.

"Well, this is i-it." Aang said, still shaking from the cold.

"Yep…" Zuko said, blowing steam on his hands to keep himself warm. "Here goes…"

* * *

Sokka and Suki cuddled up to each other in front of the fireplace in the igloo.

"You know, it was so nice of Katara to let us house-sit while she's gone." Suki said, moving closer to Sokka.

"Yep… Took me a while to convince her…" Sokka replied

"So…. you want to do something… _fun?_"

Sokka wiggled his eyebrows devilishly at her.

"Depends… What kind of fun are we talking about here?"

"I can show you better than I can tell you…"

* * *

Aang and Zuko walked closer to the igloo. Zuko was about to knock when they heard a girl moan from inside.

"Wha-?" Zuko said, giving Aang a confused look.

Aang put his ear against the igloo's wall and listened.

_Yep… _he thought, _There's some business going in there…_

Zuko looked at him dejectedly before Aang pulled him away from the igloo.

"Hey, look…" Aang said. "Maybe it's not her. Maybe it's someone else!"

"Dude, how can it be someone else?" Zuko said

"Maybe it's the wrong address! Maybe she moved to another igloo or something!"

Zuko read the scroll again and took note of her name. When a child passed by, Zuko tapped his shoulder.

"Hey buddy," he said, kneeling down to the boy's height. "Do you know where… umm… Katara lives?"

The boy nodded, pointed to the igloo they went to previously and ran away.

"Oh, great…" Zuko said, running his hand through his hair in disappointment. "I went all the way here for nothing!"

Zuko ran to Appa and quickly climbed up the saddle. When Aang caught up to him, he saw his friend, sitting in one corner of the saddle with an angry look on his face.

"Zuko-" Aang said

"Let's just go back, Aang." Zuko interrupted

Without another word, Aang gripped Appa's reins and headed back for Ba Sing Se.

Because of his disappointment, Zuko barely said a word the entire trip back. Whenever Aang would try to reassure him, he would just shake his head and turn away. Thus, the trip back seemed so much longer. An air of anger and sadness hung over them all the way. Aang was grateful to be back at Ba Sing Se. It was about time that Zuko relaxed and just… forgot about everything.

"Are you going to be okay, buddy?" Aang said before they entered the house

"Yeah…" Zuko said. "Yeah, I'll get by."

When they arrived, Aang went straight to his room to let his friend get some alone time. Zuko entered his room and saw Mai waiting there.

"Hey…" he said, trying to put on a smile for her

"Hey..." she replied, standing up from the bed. "I didn't expect you to be back so soon."

"Umm… I missed you too much…"

"I missed you too…"

Zuko wrapped his arms around her and let her rest her head against his chest.

"Mai?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't wait anymore…"

"What?"

"I have to do this right away…"

Mai let go and gave him a concerned look.

"Zuko, what are you talking about?"

"Let's get married."

"Zuko, we're already getting married."

"No… tomorrow, let's go back to the Fire Nation. Let's get married already. I-I can't wait anymore."

Zuko looked into her golden eyes, wishing so badly that they were blue.

"What? A-Are you sure?" Mai said, trying to hide her excitement

"Yes… I'm sure…"

Mai gave him another hug, one more energetic than the last, and kissed him deeply.

"I love you, you know." she said

"…. I love you too."

* * *

It had been two weeks since Katara and Ty Lee arrived and they had very little progress.

"Katara, maybe we should take a break." Ty Lee said, putting her arm around Katara's shoulders

"Ty, we're just going to waste time." Katara said, fumbling with a map of Ba Sing Se

"Tara, we spent, like, two weeks looking for that guy in every store that sells broadswords and fire-flakes. Don't you think it's about time we rested?"

Katara rolled her eyes but before she could say something, they heard Ty Lee's stomach rumble.

"Okay, can we at least eat some lunch?" Ty Lee said, clutching her empty belly

"Fine, fine." Katara said, folding the map. "That place looks nice."

Katara pointed to a teashop named "The Jasmine Dragon." Ty Lee ran towards it excitedly. She was about to open the doors when someone opened it from inside.

"Mai?" Ty Lee gasped.

The girl who opened the door was in a long red dress and had straight black hair in a semi-updo.

"Ty Lee? Is that you?" she replied

The two girls hugged each other and exchanged friendly kisses on the cheeks.

"It's so good to see you!" Ty Lee said. "How've you been?"

"Same old, same old. How about you? I thought you moved to the Water Tribe."

"I did but I'm here on vacation with my friend."

Ty Lee pointed to Katara, who had just caught up with her.

"Katara, I want you to meet my friend, Mai. I knew her before I moved to the Water Tribe." Ty Lee said. "Mai, this is Katara. She's one of my BFF's."

The two girls shook hands and exchanged friendly smiles. The sunlight reflected off of Mai's ring, causing it to shine brightly.

"It's nice to meet you." Katara said.

"You two." Mai replied.

"Hey, cool ring!" Ty lee said, taking Mai's hand. "Where did you get it?"

"Umm… Actually, it's an engagement ring."

Ty Lee's eyes widened and she squeezed Mai eagerly.

"Congratulations!" she said. "He must be a lucky guy!"

"Trust me…" Mai said. "I'm the lucky one. Oh, you two should come to the wedding!"

"Oh, th-that's okay." Katara said shyly. "I don't want to intrude."

"No, any friend of Ty Lee's is a friend of mine."

"Well, where is it?" Ty Lee asked

"In the palace." Mai replied casually

_Palace? _Katara thought, _Is this girl a princess?_

"Actually, we're heading out for the Fire Nation later this afternoon. If you don't have any more plans, we'll be happy to give you a ride."

"Awesome!" Ty Lee said. "I'll check my schedule, okay?"

"Sure." Mai said, giving her friend another goodbye hug. "If you decide to come, just go to the fourth dock on the pier, okay? It's the Royal Navy boat. I'm sure you remember what it looks like."

"Of course! Congratulations!"

_Royal Navy?_ Katara wondered, _Okay, this girl is either royalty or has strong connections with the Royal Family._

Ty Lee and Katara entered the tea shop and set their matching purses on an empty table.

"So should we go?" Ty Lee asked

"Ty, maybe you should go." Katara said

"What? You don't want to come?"

"I don't think I should. I mean, I've been away from home long enough."

"Are you going to be okay? Is this about that Fire Nation guy? There's still hope, you know."

"That's the thing… I don't think so. I think that if we were really meant to be, I would have found him by now. Besides… I kind of miss Jet."

Ty Lee held her friend's hand comfortingly.

"So what are you going to do?" Ty lee said.

"Go home, maybe…" Katara said. "Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, of course! I can get home by myself."

"Well, you better hurry up because you only have a few hours to get ready for your trip."

"Oh, right! I better get home!"

"I'll help you pack."

The two girls left the teashop, momentarily forgetting the rumble in their stomachs.

After helping Ty Lee pack her things, Katara helped her carry her luggage and brought her to the pier.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Ty Lee said

"Yeah, of course. I'm a big girl." Katara said reassuringly

"Okay, but the moment you feel depressed, just send a messenger hawk and I'll be on my way"

Katara hugged her best friend and giggled.

"You have fun there, okay?" she said. "And make sure you bring me something awesome from the Fire Nation."

"Don't worry, I will!"

Ty Lee ran up the ramp going up the ship. It was an impressive sight. It was bigger than any other boat that Katara had ever seen. She was immediately convinced that Mai wasn't just some ordinary commoner.

"Bye Katara!" Ty Lee called, waving her arms

"Bye!" Katara said, waving back.

After watching her friend sail off into the horizon and realizing that she hadn't eaten a proper meal the whole day, she went back to The Jasmine Dragon for some tea.

"I'd like one chamomile tea and a plate of crab puffs please." she said to the girl behind the counter.

"Coming right up!" the girl said. She was wearing a green and yellow robe and her dark brown hair was pulled into two braids on either side of her head.

While waiting, Katara looked at the wall behind the counter. There were several framed documents like awards for best teashop and good reviews from the newspaper. But, on one corner was a poster, not of anything concerning tea, but of a young man with black hair and a scar on the left side of his face.

Then, it hit her. She gasped and called the cashier's attention again.

"E-Excuse me, Jin?" Katara said, reading the nametag of the cashier and pointing to the poster. "Wh-Where did you get that picture?"

"Oh, that? It's from the Fire Nation."

"Would you mind telling me who the man in that poster is?"

"You don't know? That's Prince Zuko, the hottest guy ever!"

"He's a prince!"

_He's a prince? Well, thanks for telling me seven years ago!_

"Uh-huh! Too bad he's getting married in a few days…"

"What!"

"Uh-huh."

Jin set Katara's order on the counter and when Katara reached into her purse for her wallet, she gripped a cold glass object. When she brought it out, she saw that it was a bottle of pink powder.

"Oh no!" she said. "I accidentally switched purses with my friend!"

"That's too bad! Well, is there any money in her bag?"

Smirking, Katara opened Ty Lee's wallet and fished a gold coin out of it. She was about to hand it to Jin when she saw a black stain on the coin just beneath her thumb. She looked at it closely and read the text out loud…

"Zuko…" she said softly

"That's right. His name is Zuko." Jin said, pointing back to the poster

Katara couldn't speak for a few seconds. She was trying to take all of this in.

_A prince? The guy I've been looking for is the frickin Prince of the Fire Nation! And he's getting married?_

"His fiance's a lucky girl. Someone named Mai, I think…" continued Jin

_Mai? No way!_

Then, everything snapped into place. She put the coin back in the wallet and ran for the door.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Jin called

"To a wedding!"

* * *

Author's Note:

OMG! WEDDIIIIING! Lol, Jin's still crazy about Zuko :D

I swear, Zutara's so close already! 3

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or serendipity.

Hope you like it! R&R please!


	7. Unexpected Reunion

**Chapter 7: Unexpected Reunion**

* * *

Katara ran as fast she can to the docks, hoping to find another boat that could take her to the Fire Nation right away.

"Excuse me?" she called to the workers on the pier. "Can anyone help me?"

The workers were too busy transferring cargo and cleaning the ships to notice her. Even if she blocked their way, they simply side-stepped her and continued working. She was about to give up when she noticed a boy about her age stamping a few crates with the Fire Nation symbol. She ran over to the boy and tapped his shoulder.

"Excuse me?" she said. "I was wondering if-"

"If these are the flower shipments?" interrupted the boy. "Yes, they are. You can start working on that crate over there."

He pointed to another crate a few feet from them.

"Umm… okay?" Katara said. "Actually, I was just going to ask if this ship is going to the Fire Nation."

"Of course it is." the boy replied, not even looking up at her. "We have a wedding to decorate tomorrow."

"A wedding? Umm… by any chance, would that wedding be held at the Royal Palace?"

"Yeah, duh. Didn't the manager brief you already on this? Pack your stuff in the cabin and get to work. We're leaving tonight."

"But I'm not-"

The boy gave her a confused look. Katara could see beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The boy put up part of his long brown hair in a top knot.

"Seriously…" the boy said. "If there's anything you need to ask about work, please ask me later. I'm very busy."

"You don't understand-"

"Yes, I know. You didn't expect to be doing manual labor but we're a little short on staff right now so-"

"But I'm not-"

"Not what? Not ready? Okay, no one was. This customer just entered the store this morning and told us to decorate for her wedding. Could we say no? Of course not. Besides, we interns have to help each other out."

The boy held out his hand and smiled at her politely.

"I'm Haru." he said, shaking her hand.

"I'm Katara." she replied. "Intern? But-"

"Yeah, intern. You _are_ the new intern, right? If you're not, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

_I guess this is the fastest way to get to the Fire Nation, _Katara thought, _A little manual labor wouldn't hurt…_

"Y-Yeah." Katara said. "I am. Just give me a minute to get my things in the cabin."

The boy nodded and went back to work. Katara raced back to her hotel and paid the owner extra money to keep their room reserved and to keep her possessions safe until she gets back. After convincing the owner, Katara grabbed Ty Lee's purse – which was hers for now – and made her way back to the pier.

After following Haru's lead and stamping the boxes with the Fire Nation symbol, Katara boarded the ship with the rest of the workers and went to her cabin. During dinnertime, the workers all ate together. She sat beside Haru and made small talk.

"Hey." she said, putting noodles into her mouth.

"Hey." he replied, taking a drink from his bowl of soup. "Today was exhausting, wasn't it?"

"Sure was. When do we arrive at the palace?"

"Umm… Tomorrow at around midday. Just in time, too. The wedding is in the afternoon."

"Really? How big is the palace exactly?"

"Well, I haven't seen it personally but I heard it was as big as the Inner Ring of Ba Sing Se."

_Great…_ Katara thought, _I might get lost before I actually get to find Zuko._

"So are we allowed to attend the wedding?" Katara asked

"I guess so… I think we're supposed to stay at the side or the back but hey, it's okay. Outsiders rarely get invited to royal weddings."

"True… Umm… did you hear anything about the groom?"

_Yeah, okay… Real subtle, Katara. Why don't you just show him your 'I love Zuko' t-shirt?_

Haru chuckled before taking a sip of his tea.

"You too, huh?" Haru said.

"What do you mean?" Katara asked

"Don't worry. I'm used to it. Some of my best friends are girls and they're crazy about Prince Zuko too. They started wailing once they heard that he was getting married."

"Oh…" Katara said, smiling slightly. "Well… I once knew him actually…"

"Really? Were you, like, a servant in the palace or something?"

_Do I really look that bad? And this guy's starting to tick me off. You'd think he'd have better sense than to piss a girl off._

Despite her frustration, Katara smiled politely and shook her head.

"We were… friends… once." she replied

"Really? That's cool. Wait, if you were friends, how come you weren't invited?"

"We lost touch a few years ago…"

"Maybe he'll recognize you when we get there."

"I hope so…"

* * *

The sun had barely risen when Aang barged in Zuko's room in the palace and started to wake him up.

"Wakey, wakey, Sleepyhead!" Aang said enthusiastically

Zuko groaned a reply and buried his head further into the covers. Aang crawled underneath his blanket and lay beside him. Zuko groggily opened his eyes and was taken back by the sight of Aang beside him, smiling.

"GAH!" Zuko shouted, quickly sitting up, revealing his bare torso. "Aang! What the hell are you doing?"

"Well, I tried to wake you up the easy way…" Aang said, stretching out on Zuko's bed. "I like your bed. It's really soft. It's much different from the ones in the Air Temple. Of course, the beds there were like, on the floor and you just had this bamboo mat for a cushion and this lumpy bag of hay for-"

"Aang…" Zuko said, rubbing his temple. "Why'd you wake me up?"

"Duh, Zuzu… It's your-"

"Okay, don't ever call me that again."

"Why not? Your sister does it."

"Exactly. That's why you shouldn't do it."

"Well, don't you think it's weird that we don't have best friend nicknames?"

"Umm…"

"I mean, everyone does it. Maybe I can call you Koko! Like cocoa but with a 'K.' You know, because you're name is Zuko."

Zuko gave him a look but he kept smiling.

"No." Zuko said. "Just… no."

"Oh come on! You can call me anything you want!"

"Really? I can call you 'Boy with Small Dick' and you'll be okay with that?"

"Wha-"

"Hmm… I actually kind of like that name. Maybe I'll make a nationwide decree so everyone will call you that!"

"No! Come on, Zuko! I'll be nice! No one needs to know about that!"

Zuko laughed at him and slapped the back of his head.

"See what happens to people who call me weird names?" he said smugly

"Yes…" Aang replied, rubbing the back of his head

"Anyway, why'd you wake me up so early?"

"Dude, it's your wedding today."

Zuko pondered for a minute and rubbed his chin.

"Are you sure?" he said. "I thought it was in two weeks or something? Has it been that long already?"

"No. You moved it to today, remember?"

"Huh? I did?"

"Um… Yeah. Don't you remember? We went to the Water Tribe and you got your heart broken because you overheard the girl of your dreams getting it on with some Water Tribe stud and then we went back and you were all emo and then you told Mai you wanted the wedding earlier and we went back to the Fire Nation and here we are."

"Oh…. Oh yeah… Great, I guess."

"What do you mean you guess? Dude, you seriously cannot doubt now."

"I'm not… I'm not…"

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah… I'm just… taking it all in, I suppose. I mean, after this day, everything's going to be different."

"Well, at least you'll always have me…" Aang said, putting his arm around Zuko's shoulders

"Yeah… You and your _little_ friend in your pants…" Zuko snickered

Suddenly, Zuko's uncle entered the room and smiled warmly at the two boys.

"Good morning, nephew. Good morning, Aang." Iroh greeted warmly.

"Good morning, Uncle." replied the two boys.

"Zuko, you better get ready." Iroh said

"But, it's only a few minutes after sunrise."

"Yes, but there's no time like the present. Go now, Zuko. You should start your morning meditation and firebending practice."

Zuko nodded, put on a shirt and a robe and walked out the room. Iroh drew the curtains started to fix Zuko's room.

"Uncle Iroh?" Aang said. "Shouldn't the maids be taking care of that?"

"Yes…" Iroh said, shooing Aang away from the bed. "But I decided to help them out. It's a busy day for everyone, after all."

"True… Are you excited for the wedding?"

"I've been to so many weddings that I simply smile and cherish the occasion. Are you?"

"Umm… I guess…"

"Let me guess… You are worried about Mai, aren't you?"

"Sort of… More of her and Zuko, really."

"Don't worry. Everything will be taken care of soon."

"Do you think they'll be a happy couple after they get married?"

"Who knows? Maybe the wedding won't even occur."

"Huh? But-"

"Time for breakfast, Aang. You better not let your food get cold." said Iroh, leaving the room.

"Wait, Uncle! What do you mean by that?" Aang called

Iroh simply chuckled and kept walking, leaving Aang very confused indeed.

* * *

As the hour of the wedding drew nearer, the palace grounds were slowly transformed into a magnificent wedding scene. An incredibly long red carpet marked the middle of the location, with chairs lined up on either side of it. The altar was decorated with Fire Nation wedding trinkets that are said to give the couple good luck. The flower deliveries had just arrived when Mai peeked outside to make sure everything was going according to plan.

"Hey…." a deep voice said behind her.

"What are you doing here?" said Mai, genuinely shocked. "I-I thought you were at the Water Tribe."

"I was… But then, my umm… fiancé's in Ba Sing Se right now."

"Fiance? Y-You're getting married?"

"Umm… Yeah… I actually came here to invite you."

"Oh… Umm… I'd love to go. Is that the only reason why you came here?"

"To tell you the truth… No, it's not. I know this is stupid but… Oh, never mind. I'll just see you later at the wedding."

He started to walk away but Mai stopped him.

"Wait…" she said, trying to hold back tears. "D-Don't go… please…"

"And why not?"

He turned to face her and wiped her tears away with his thumb.

"Why didn't you answer my letters?" she asked. "I thought you had forgotten about me… I thought you hated me…"

"I… I didn't answer because I found out that you were engaged to the prince… How could I ever compete with that?"

"So you decided to just disappear?"

"I thought you'd be happier without me… I really am sorry… "

Mai broke down and hugged him and he let her tears wet his shirt.

"What were you going to say a while ago?" Mai said

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes… Please tell me…"

"I… I still love you…"

Mai looked up at him and smiled.

"I wish you could have told me sooner…" she said. "I love you too…"

"Then why did you agree to marry Prince Zuko? You love him, don't you?"

"I do… But in a different way. He's more of a brother to me than a lover… Besides, I don't think he loves me the way you do… I don't think anyone could ever love me like you do…"

"So… how do you feel about me?"

"What do you think?" Mai said before giving him a kiss on the lips.

He smiled and kept his hands around her waist.

"So what happens now?" he asked

"You tell me… Do you love your fiancé?"

"Not as much as I love you… Plus when I proposed, I felt like she was only forced to accept because I did it in front of the entire clan."

"So what do you want me to do? I mean, I still want to be with you…"

"I do too but if you're happier with Prince Zuko, I'll be happy to step aside."

"I… I think I'd like to give us another try but only if you want to…"

"Of course I want to."

"But what about your fiancé?"

"I'll… I'll just have to tell her right away."

Mai smiled and cupped his face.

"I'll tell Zuko right now before it's too late." Mai said

"Are you sure about this? Because once you tell him, there's no going back."

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life."

Mai ran out the room and bumped into Zuko along the way.

"Hey, Zuko!" Mai said. "I was just looking for you."

"Hey, Mai." Zuko replied. "What's up?"

"Well, it's about the wedding… Can we go somewhere private? It's kind of important."

"Of course."

Zuko looked back at the room where Mai came from and saw a boy about his age leaning against the doorway. He had brown hair and was wearing an orange and blue-colored armor. When he saw Zuko looking at him, he gave a polite bow and smiled. Zuko nodded and smiled politely in return.

"Who's that?" he asked Mai

"Umm… He's kind of what I want to talk to you about… He's umm… an old friend…" Mai replied

"What's his name?"

"Jet… His name is Jet."

* * *

Author's Note:

So… as it turns out this _isn't_ the last chapter. Lol :D

Anyway, I wanted to try a MaiXJet pairing and well, I thought that if I finish the fic now, the chapter will be too long and there will be so many loopholes left.

So yeah, there's a 95% chance that the next chapter will be the last.

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or serendipity.

Hope you like it! R&R please!


	8. Back to the Beginning

**Chapter 8: Back to the Beginning**

* * *

"You're calling off the wedding?" Zuko asked, totally bewildered

"Look, Zuko… I can't do this… I can't keep pretending anymore…" Mai replied, wiping her tears away from her cheeks.

"I…. I really don't know what to say…"

"Look, I'm ready for it… Put me in jail. Banish me. Have me scourged. I-I deserve it."

"No, Mai… I guess I have something to confess too…"

"I'm sure it's not as bad as mine."

"It is… In fact, I think it's worse. Umm… remember that girl I told you about? The one I met seven years ago?"

"The one from the Water Tribe? Yes, why?"

"She's kind of the reason why I kept travelling... and why I kept looking for a Water Tribe Scroll."

"What do you mean?"

And so, Zuko explained it all – from the day he and Katara met to the day he told Mai to move up the wedding.

"So… all this time, you've been keeping this from everyone?" Mai said, more intrigued than heartbroken.

"Not really. Aang and Uncle Iroh know."

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Because you acted like you wanted to marry me so badly that I thought I would just hurt you."

"Wait, you thought I was crazy about you?"

"Umm… yes?"

"Zuko, have you noticed that I was acting all bitchy and moody before?"

"Well… kind of… yes…"

"I was actually trying to drive you away."

"What?"

"Look, I know it was unkind of me and I'm sorry. I should have just told you in the first place."

"So, let me get this straight. All this time, we've been in love with other people and we decided to keep it a secret from each other until our wedding day?"

Mai and Zuko both laughed at the statement. Looking back, they found it both amusing and annoying. The problem they tried to solve by travelling all over the world and lying about who they are could have been completely solved if they had just opened up.

"Umm… Not to ruin this moment but I think we have to tell your Uncle what's happening before the guests start to arrive." Mai said

"Alright, I'll handle it." Zuko said, holding his hand out to Mai. "Friends?"

Mai shook it and smiled at him.

"Always."

"Go on and tell Jet. I'll find Uncle."

"Thank you, Zuko… really. This means a lot."

"Trust me, it means a lot for both of us."

"What are you going to do know?"

"I guess I'll keep looking for that girl. What about you?"

"Good luck with that. I suppose Jet and I will spend some time together and… see where it goes."

"I wish you both well."

"Thanks."

They exchanged friendly hugs and separated. Mai went straight to her room and found Jet still waiting, sitting on her windowsill.

"You know…" she said. "We do have chairs."

"Hey!" Jet replied, standing back up and walking to her. "So what happened? You're smiling! Is that a good sign?"

"Actually, yes. He understood and he's telling his Uncle right now to call the whole thing off."

"So we're good? We're getting back together?"

"Nuh-uh, mister. You still have a fiancé."

"Speaking of my fiancé, I saw her down there arranging the flowers."

"What? But she's from the Water Tribe, right?"

"Yes, but she's down there." Jet said, pointing out the window to the group of flower arrangers. "God knows why, but she's arranging the flowers for the wedding."

"What now?"

"Do you want me to tell her now?"

"I told you, it's up to you. No pressure."

"You know what? I'll tell her now. It's unfair to you if I don't. After all, you just called off your own wedding for me."

Jet wrapped his arms around Mai lovingly and she stepped into hold willingly.

"That's right and don't you forget it."

"I'll go now and tell her."

"I'll be watching, okay? No funny stuff!"

"Don't worry about it."

Jet started to walk out the door after giving Mai a peck on the lips.

"Love you!" Mai called after him

"Love you more!" he hollered back.

And with that, he ran as fast as he could outside to find Katara. Shuffling through the crowd of flower arrangers, he tapped the shoulder of a certain lady in blue and called her name.

"Katara?" he said

The lady turned around and gasped.

"Jet?" she said, her blue eyes widening in surprise. "Wh-Why are you here?"

"No time to explain. Katara, I need to talk to you."

"What? Now? B-But the wedding's about to start!"

"Please? It's really important. It won't take long."

Jet led her to the side of the Palace where there were no people. He sat down on a bench and invited her to sit with him.

"So what's this about?" Katara said.

"It's… It's about us…" Jet replied

"What about us?"

"I… I'm in love with someone else."

* * *

To Zuko, it all came crashing down like a tidal wave. A mix of emotions came with it. On one hand he felt sad about Mai calling off the wedding but on the other hand, he was overjoyed because he was free from an arranged marriage. Despite the heartbreak he experienced at the South Pole, he couldn't stop thinking about Katara. He somehow felt that they were still meant to be. After all, if he and Mai were meant to get married, shouldn't the ceremony be taking place right now?

With all of these in his mind, he knocked on his Uncle's chamber and called for him.

"Uncle? Uncle Iroh?" Zuko said. "Are you there?"

A few moments later, his uncle opened the door and greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, Zuko. Is something the matter?" he said

"Uncle, Mai and I called the wedding off."

Zuko held his breath and waited for a scolding. To his surprise, nothing but a chuckle was heard.

"I will go tell the workers right now." Uncle said, walking away and smiling

"Wha-… Bu-… You're not mad?"

"Of course not, nephew."

"A-Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"So, that's it? No scolding? No slap on the head? Not even a cup of tea?"

"None whatsoever… except the tea. Maybe we'll have some later…"

Zuko stood dumbfounded while his Uncle made his way towards the main hall. On the way, he saw Uncle pass by Aang.

"What's going on?" Aang said.

Iroh looked at him cheerfully and patted his shoulder.

"I told you so."

* * *

Aang jumped up and down with excitement after Zuko explained everything to him.

"Yes!" he cheered, pumping his fist in the air. "The wedding's off! This is awesome!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Zuko said, rolling his eyes.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Well, I still can't get Katara out of my mind, that's for sure."

"Really? Are you going to find her again?"

"I actually don't know yet. Right now, I just want to go back to the place we first met."

"Where's that?"

"In the outskirts of Ba Sing Se."

"Go ahead. You can borrow Appa."

"Are you sure? You won't need him for a few days?"

"Nah… Besides, I've got a hot date."

"What? Seriously?"

"Uh-huh."

"Does she know about your small di-"

"Hey! I told you! No one needs to know!"

Zuko laughed at him again while Aang tried to put him in a headlock.

"Dude! I'm way taller than you!" Zuko said, trying to shake him off. "You can't win!"

Aang struggled a bit more before finally giving up, letting himself fall on the floor. They both lay on the floor of Zuko's room and relaxed.

"Where'd you meet her?" Zuko said.

"Well, actually, she was that girl I saw across the fountain when we were in Ba Sing Se." Aang said. "You know, the girl whom I was about to talk to when you pulled me away…"

"Why is she here, then?"

"Mai invited her."

"Really? Hmm.. Small world."

"Uh-huh. So when are you leaving?"

"Well, if it's okay with you, right now."

"Now? Seriously? I mean, I knew you were impulsive but I didn't think it would be like this."

"Well, I have to clear my head. I don't know why but being there makes me more… serene, somehow."

"Okay… Good luck, buddy. Appa's in the stable."

"Thanks, Aang."

"Anytime…"

* * *

Iroh went to the palace grounds and called everyone's attention.

"Everyone, I'm sorry to tell you this but the wedding has been officially called off!" he announced, receiving gasps and whispers from the crowd.

"I'm sorry for all your trouble." Iroh continued. "To compensate for your efforts, everyone will still be paid plus free fare for the trip back home."

The whispers and gasps ended and the crowd started repacking all the equipment that they had set up moments ago.

"Uncle?" Aang said from behind him.

"Yes, Aang?" he replied, turning around to face the boy

"Zuko went to Ba Sing Se a few minutes ago."

"Why is that?"

"Well, he said he wanted some time to think."

"He's still thinking about that girl, isn't he?"

"Never stopped, I guess."

"Well, fate has been good to him. Let's hope his luck doesn't wear out soon."

"So that's it, then?" Katara asked, trying to take in everything Jet said.

"Yeah…" Jet said, preparing himself for a slap on the face.

"Okay… Sure."

"That's it? You're not mad?"

"Well, remember how you said a while ago that you didn't really think that I was fully committed to our relationship?"

"Uh-huh…"

"You're right. I wish I could have told you before you proposed but-"

"No, don't worry about it. We'll always be friends, right?"

"Of course. Come visit sometime with that girl, okay? I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you, Katara… Thank you so much for understanding."

"It was nothing, really. I just have to get back to the wedding now."

"Why are you arranging flowers, by the way? It's a long story. I'll tell you later after the wedding, okay?"

"But-"

"Later, Jet!"

Katara ran back to where the wedding was to be held, leaving Jet scratching his head in confusion. He shrugged and went back inside the palace to find Mai.

_Maybe I can introduce them to each other later…_

* * *

Katara ran back to the front of the palace and arrived at an almost empty area.

_Was I gone that long?_

Katara tried to find someone to ask about the wedding. She found an old man bringing a tray with cups and a teapot on it to a table full of people about her age. They were in a garden on the other side of the palace. Katara ran to them and was shocked when she saw the people who were sitting on the table.

"Ty Lee?" Katara said, seeing her friend chatting with a bald boy

"Katara?" her friend said, running to her and hugging her. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for Zuko, actually. I-Is the wedding over?"

"Of course, it is." said the old man with the tea. "They called it off. Have a seat, young lady."

Katara let out a sigh of relief and sat down.

"So… where's Zuko?" she said

"You know him?" asked the bald boy.

"Umm… he was an old… friend."

"Oh, Katara, this is Aang, by the way." Ty Lee said, introducing her friend. "He's a friend of Zuko's."

_Hmm… Katara… _Aang thought, _That name sounds so familiar…_

"You know Zuko?"

"I'm his best friend actually."

"Hey, guys" said a throaty voice from the door.

Jet and Mai walked hand in hand towards the table and sat down. Jet started to introduce the two girls to each other.

"Mai, this is-"

"Katara…" Mai said, recognizing Ty Lee's friend. "I remember you!"

"Mai!" Katara replied. "You're the girl that Jet's in love with? But I thought you were going to marry Zuko?"

"We called it off."

"Oh… I'm sorry about that…"

"Don't be." Mai said, smiling at Jet. "I've never been happier."

Katara gave them a congratulating look and focused her attention back to Aang.

"So where did you and Ty Lee meet?" Katara asked

"Actually, Katara…" said Ty Lee. "Remember that boy I told you about in the Earth Kingdom who was smiling at me from across the fountain? Well, that's Aang."

"That was you? What were you doing in the Earth Kingdom?"

"I was accompanying Zuko." Aang replied. "He was going crazy about this girl…"

Katara's heart dropped when she heard what Aang said.

_He has another girl?_

"We even went to the Southern Water Tribe to look for her…" Aang continued

"How did you know that she lived there?" asked Katara

"Well, Mai gave him a gift that had her name and address on it. I think it was a waterbending scroll."

Katara gasped. Could it be? Was he looking for her all this time too?

"That's so weird…" Ty Lee said. "We went there because Katara was crazy about this guy she met seven years ago…"

"That's also when Zuko met that Water Tribe girl."

A moment passed. They sipped their tea. Another moment passed. Then, realization struck them and they spewed out the tea in shock.

"_You're_ the Water Tribe girl?" Aang said, wiping his mouth

"Yes, that's me!"

"You have to go now!"

"What? Why?"

"Because Zuko went to the place where you guys first met! You have to go now so you can catch him!"

"Take the ship we rode on going here. It's the fastest we've got." encouraged Mai.

Katara nodded, switched purses with Ty Lee and ran to the dock.

_This is it…_ she thought. _I'm finally going to meet him._

* * *

Enjoying the breeze in the air, Zuko leaned on the trunk of the tree and relaxed. He pictured their first day together. So much time had passed since then.

Closing his eyes, he remembered how she came up to him. At first he heard nothing but a rustle of her footsteps on the grass. Then, her gentle voice filled the air.

"Hey…"

His imagination was so vivid sometimes that he thought it was real. He then heard a few more rustles and he felt a familiar warmth on his side.

"Damn… You're not real… Just my imagination…" he said, keeping his eyes closed

"Maybe you should open your eyes…" insisted the voice.

"No… If I do, I'll be reminded that I'm all alone."

"You're not."

Zuko said nothing but kept his eyes closed.

"Zuko, just open your eyes already."

After a few moments, the prince reluctantly opened his eyes and squinted at the afternoon sun. He looked around.

_Okay… I'm still in the meadow… I'm still leaning on the tree… I'm still alo-_

Then, he saw her. His eyes travelled from her boot-covered feet to cerulean doe-eyes.

"Please tell me you're real…" he whispered pleadingly, not wanting to end this dream, if it were really a dream.

"One hundred percent…" she replied, smiling brightly at him.

His hand slowly crept to hers and held it. The familiar feel of her soft fingers and palms made him smile back.

"I've been looking for you for so long, you know…" he said, using his hand to tuck a lock of her long brown hair behind her ear.

She smiled shyly and giggled.

"Same here… I heard you went to the South Pole just to look for me…"

"I did… Your house-sitters are very… frisky."

"Trust me. They're in trouble when I get home."

"Who told you, by the way?"

"Your friend, Aang."

"You know him?"

"I was in the palace, actually."

"What? Why?"

"I was going to try and stop your wedding…"

She looked away in embarrassment while Zuko chuckled. He put his arm around her shoulders and leaned his head on the top of hers. He inhaled the flowery scent of her hair and smiled. _Just like old times…_

She scooted closer and put her arm around his stomach. She rested her head on his muscular chest while embracing him tightly.

"I've missed you…" she said, looking up to face him

"I didn't even think you'd remember me."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know… I mean, you're a pretty girl. You can get any guy you want."

"Well, you're a prince. Thanks for telling me seven years ago, by the way."

"Sorry about that."

Their faces were now inches apart. Their hearts were beating wildly. They were sinking into each other's eyes.

"So what now?" Zuko asked, never taking his golden eyes off her azure ones

"You tell me…" Katara said. "Do you think your family would ever approve of some Water Tribe peasant like me?"

"Of course they will… And if they don't, I'll give up my throne."

"What? Are you sure I'm worth it?"

"Yes… I can't lose you again… Not after seven years without you…"

"Even if it means giving up everything you have?"

"_You're_ everything I have…"

"I know this seems impulsive to say but… I love you, Zuko…"

Zuko grinned and held her closer.

"I love you too…" he murmured against her lips before giving her a passionate kiss.

Fireworks exploded as their lips met. Their hearts fluttered inside their chests, as if they wanted to burst. Running out of breath, they parted but kept their faces close to each other.

"So… how'd you end up almost marrying Mai?" Katara asked, poking his abs

"I could ask you the same thing about Jet." Zuko replied, playing with her hair.

"Can't we just enjoy the moment right now? It's a very long story…"

"Don't worry. We've got the rest of our lives… "

The sun set as the two lovers held each other, never wanting to let go. The full moon rose and they remained sitting under the tree in each other's arms. The city lights of Ba Sing Se glowed and they felt like the whole city was congratulating them both. The stars and the moon shone brightly upon them, as if celebrating their reunion and marking the start of a new journey with each other.

For seven years, these two have been marked by fate. Despite all their downfalls and obstacles, they managed to fight their way back into each other's hearts. True love powered their souls as they let fate guide their way. After all, it was not fate that made all the choices that led them here. It was their love for each other that burned brightly within their hearts.

_After all, we may meet others by chance but we love them by choice…_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

OMG MY FIC IS DONE! *le gasp* That was a long ass chapter :D

So anyway, I want to thank EVERYONE who has supported me all the way! Thank you so much for all the reviews, the comments, the suggestions, the constructive criticisms and even the violent reactions!

VIRTUAL COOKIE PARTY FOR EVERYONE! :D

Anyway, I'm planning to finish Chronicles of Ba Sing Se by the end of my summer vacation (which is pretty soon). And if I have time, I'll be doing one-shots based on the Zutara 100

If I think of another plot, maybe I'll write another fic.

Thank you so much again, everyone! Love you all! 3

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or Serendipity.

Hope you liked it! R&R please! :D


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